SEIZED CARGOES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20115, 8 December 1939, Page 7

SEIZED CARGOES

ENEMY CONTRABAND ONE SHIPMENT IN 14 ALLIED CONTROL WORK 735,000 TONS DETAINED (BritislCOffiml Wireless.) Reed. 9 a.m. RUGBY, Dec. 6. The Ministry of Economic Warfare states: “On December 2 there were 80 neutral ships in the three contraband control bases in the United Kingdom, of which 47 had been there for four days or less. "The total included 21 Dutch, 18 Swedish, 15 Norwegian, nine Danish, six Belgian, two Greek, two United States, two Panamanian, one Spanish, two Italian, one Rumanian, and one Finnish.

During the week ended December 2 the contraband committee considered the cargoes of 110 ships which arrived since November 25 and the cargoes of 57 ships outstanding from the previous week. The combined total of ships included 35 Italian, 27 Dutch, 21 Swedish, 19 British, 14 Norwegian, 11 Danish, 10 Belgian, six Greek, six United States and four Finnish. Only one ship’s entire cargo was seized, while the entire cargoes of 91 ships were released.

Copies of Manifesto

“The system under which advance copies of manifests are received and considered before the ships’ arrival at British ports resulted during the week in 26 ships being so dealt with and 15 of the ships concerned being released by the committee, subject merely to the formal checking of the original manifests on arrival at the control bases. “Since the beginning of the war the Allied contraband control has intercepted and detained approximately 735.000 tons of contraband. Of this total, 476,500 tons has been detained by Britain and approximately 260,000 tons by France. “During the week ended December 2 the British contraband control intercepted. and detained 13,700 tons of Contraband goods, of which there was evidence that they 'were destined for Germany. This total included 4500 tons of iron pyrites, 1750 tons of hides and skins, 1200 tons of coffee, 2800 ‘ons of other foodstuffs, 850 tons of timber, 500 tons of cotton, 400 tons of petroleum products, 250 tons of chemicals. Other commodities detained included oilseeds and fats, calcium magnesite, tanning materials, wool and rubber. French Control “During the fortnight ended November 30 the French contraband control also detained 35,300 tons of contraband, including 18,148 tons of foodstuffs and feeding stuff's, 12,651 tons of metals and ores, 2236 tons of textiles, 107 tons of wool, 99 tons of hair, 107 tons of timber, 253 tons of resin, 147 tons of turpentine, 100 tons of cork, 220 tons of fats, 214 tons of oilseeds, 583 tons of wine and 273 tons of chemicals. Other goods included jute, sisal, silk, rubber, hides and skins. “From the outbreak of the war to December 2, only 64 entire cargoes have been seized by the British contraband control. Of these, 42 were seized in the first three weeks, and nine were German. “On the other hand, 875 cargoes have been entirely released in the same period. Tire proportion of total seizures and total releases is thus about one to 14 and, in the last 10 weeks, one to 36.”